Exercising device



April 1947- J. D. BELL 2,418,154

EXERCI S ING DEVICE Filed Aug. 28, 1945 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 1, 1947 UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE EXERCISING DEVICE Joseph D. Bell, San Francisco, Calif.

Application August 28, 1945, Serial No. 613,101

17 Claims. I

The present invention relates to improvements in exercising devices and its principal object is to provide a device of the character described that is practical, simple in construction, and which provides exercise for all parts of the human body, and particularly for the abdominal portion of the trunk.

More particularly, it is proposed to provide an exercising device adapted for guiding the limbs of a person in lateral swinging movements, as for instance, in swinging one' leg about the other, in various body postures, and in swinging the arms sidewise in a to-and-fro movement to produce a twisting effect extending through the entire body and afiecting every part thereof.

It is further proposed to provide an exercising device capable of various uses and readily convertible for different uses in differing body postures.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a body exerciser that is simple in construction and easy to manufacture, that takes up little room for storage, may be readily carried from place to place, and provides exercise sufficiently diversified to satisfy the essential needs of the average person.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification continues, and the new and useful purposes of my exerciser will be completely defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of my invention is illus trated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan View view of my device with the parts arranged for a simple lateral leg movement, certain positions being shown in dotted lines;

Figure 2, a side elevation of the same device, certain movable parts being shown in full line and dotted positions;

Figure 3, a side elevation of the device in extended position as used for swinging movement of one leg about the other; and

Figure 4, a similar side elevation of the exerciser as used for swinging movement of the arms accompanied by a twisting movement of the entire body.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my exercising device comprises in its principal features, a platform l, a swinging arm 2 and a post 3 at the free end of the swinging arm.

The platform I may be of any suitable form and is here shown as comprising a base plate 4, preferably substantially square in form, a journal 5 rising substantially centrally from the base ,plate, and having the inner end of the arm 2 swingably mounted thereon, and a top plate 6 resting on the journal 50 that the arm is freely swingable between the base and the topplate. All of these members are preferably constructed of wood and the journal is of considerable diameter, as shown in the drawing.

Superimposed upon the top plate is an extension plate 1, which is hinged to the rear edge of the top plate as at 8. The extension plate may normally lie on top of the top plate, in which case it merely increases the thickness of the platform. But, it may swing rearward into an inclined position, when a rearwardly projecting tongue comes to rest against the beveled rear edge H) of the top plate and against the rear edge of the base plate.

The extension plate, when thus tilted backward, assumes substantially the position of the back of a reclining chair. If it is pressed down wardly still further, as by the pressure of a foot stepping on it, it tilts over backward to horizontal position, as in Figures 3 and 4, with the result that the two plates 4 and 6 of the platform and the swinging arm are tilted upwardly, as shown.

The extension plate 7, as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, is also equipped with a forwardly extending tongue H adapted to support the front portion of a persons foot, as shown in Figure 1. The tongue has a metallic cross-member l2 suflicient- 1y long to form a support for both feet, either in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, or in the position shown in Figures 3 and 4. T

The swinging arm 2, which may be about twenty inches in length, terminates, at its free end, in a bearing l3, reinforced on the outside by a metallic strap l4.

The post 3 is pivotally supported in the bearing !3, as at l 5, for swinging motion from a horizontal position adjacent to the arm, as shown in full lines in Figure 2, to any desired angularity, one of the inclined positions being shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.

A latch member I6 is provided to cooperate with a number of holes I! in the strap l4 for locking the post in a number of different posifloor at the end of each stroke.

tions. The post has a strap l8, preferably of leather secured upon the upper face (when lying horizontally) near the pivot, and has also a pair of hand grips l9 projecting from the free end thereof.

The entire device, as viewed in Figure 1, may

' foot, he swings the second foot back and forth as indicated in dotted lines in Figure l.

With a little practice he ought to be able to swing his foot and leg through an angle of about 180 degrees. At first he may feel the need of some slight additional support, as by resting a hand on a table top or against the wall, but he is apt to develop, in a short time, sufiicient balance and rhythm to stand perfectly straight while carrying out the exercise.

When using my exerciser in the above-described manner, the legs are held straight, and the effects of the exercise are principally felt in the legs, the hip section and the abdominal region.

To introduce. a knee-bending element into the above exercise, the device is extended in the manner shown'in Figure 3, with the extension plate tilted over backward, and stepped upon with one foot, as shown, whereby the base plate Q, the top plate 6 and the swinging arm 2 are made to tilt upward. With the other foot in the toe-hold strap, and the first foot well to the rear of the extensionplate l, the user has a longer sweep and, as he swings the second foot from side to side, the leg will be fully extended when in either end position, but will bend while passing through the central position shown in Figure 4.

The above exercise has an effect similar to that of the first one, except for the accompanying knee-bending and the somewhat longer sweep involved. The body stands erect with its Weight balanced on the rear foot.

' The third use of my device is intended to exerelse the entire body in a swinging movement. With the exerciser arranged, as in Figures '1 and 2, but with the post 3 raised to angular position, preferably somewhat steeper than shown in Figure 2, the user places both feet on the platform andgrips the handles It with both hands.

This, of course, involves a stooping'forward of the body, with the legs either bent or straight. As the user then swings to the armsback and forth, from side to side, preferably through an angle somewhat in excess of 180 degrees, with the arm 2 remaining in a horizontal plane, he exercises every part of the body.

He may combine knee-bending exercises with this movement, straightening out his knees while swinging through the center and bending his knees toward the end of each stroke.

*For the fourth exercise, the extension plate is again-tilted over backward and the user places bothfeet on the ends of the cross-member II to bring the base and the swinging arm into the inclined position shown in Figure 4.

Gripping the handles 19 with both hands, he swings the arms from side to side, touching the This exercise .4 is accompanied by body-bending movements, since when passing through the central portion of each swing the body will tend to straighten out, while toward the end of each swing the body tends to swing downward about the hip section. This exercise may also be accompanied by kneebending, if desired.

It will be noted that my exerciser is extremely handy, relatively small, light in weight, may be readily used in limited spaces, as in a bedroom or in the office, and is easily stored, as in a closet or in an automobile.

I claim:

1. In an exercising device of the character described, a platform adapted to have a foot supported thereon, an arm pivoted with respect to the platform for swinging movement, and means for anchoring the second foot to the arm, whereby the second foot may be guided about the first foot in a to-and-fro swinging motion.

2. In an exercising device of the character described, a platform adapted to have a foot supported thereon, an arm pivoted with respect to the platform for swinging movement, and means for anchoring the second foot to the awn-whereby the second foot may be guided about the first foot in a to-and-fro swinging motion, the arm being pivoted underneath the first foot to make the latter the axis of the swinging movement.

3. In an exercising device of the character described, a platform adapted to have a person stand thereon, an armpivoted with respect to the platform for swinging movement, and a post rising from the arm in spaced relation to its pivot whereby a person standing on the platform and gripping the post may swing the latter about his body in a to-and-fro movement.

4. In an exercising device of the character described, a platform adapted to have a person stand thereon, an arm'pivoted with respect to the platform for swinging movement, and a post rising from the arm in spaced relation to its pivot whereby a person standing on the platform and gripping the post may swing the latter about his body in a to-and-fro movement, the post having means for adjusting the angularity thereof.

5. In an exercising device of the character described, a platform adapted to have a person stand thereon, an arm pivoted with respect to the platform for swing movement, and a post rising from the arm in spaced relation to its pivot, whereby a person standing on the platform and gripping the post may swing the latter abouthis body in a to-and-fro movement, the post being swingable from an upright position to a position adjacent the arm and having means for anchoring a foot thereto when in the latter position.

6. In an exercising device of the character described, a platform adapted to have a person stand thereon, an arm pivoted with respect to the platform for swinging movement, and gripping means for a human limb secured upon the arm.

7. In an exercising device of the character de scribed, a platform adapted to have a person stand thereon, an arm pivoted with respect to the platform for swinging movement, and gripping means for a human limb secured upon the arm, the platform being extensible for increasing the sweep of the swinging movement. I

8. In an exercising device of the character described, a platform adapted to have a person stand thereon, an arm pivoted with respect to the platform for swinging movement, and gripping means for a human limb secured upon the arm, the platform having an extension hinged thereto with freedom of backward swing movement for increasing the sweep of the arm movement when the extension is stepped upon.

9. In an exercising device of the character described, a platform adapted to have a foot rest thereon, an arm pivoted with respect to the platform for swinging movement in a horizontal plane, and a toe hold for the other foot secured upon the free end of the arm.

10. In an exercising device of the character described, a member adapted to have a foot rest thereon, an arm pivoted with respect to the member for swinging movement in an inclined plane, and a toe-hold for the other foot secured upon the free end of the arm.

11. In an exercising device of the character described, a platform adapted to have the feet of a person rest thereon, an arm pivoted with respect to the platform for swinging movement in a horizontal plane, and a post rising from the free end. of the arm and having gripping means at the upper end thereof.

12. In an exercising device of the character described, a member adapted to have the feet of a person rest thereon, an arm pivoted with respect to the member for swinging movement in an inclined plane, and a post rising from the free end of the arm and having gripping means thereon.

13. In an exercising device of the character described, an arm having anchoring means at one end thereof and foot-supporting means having the arm pivoted thereto, the foot-supporting means being operable for supporting the arm for swinging movement in either a horizontal. or an inclined plane.

14. In an exercising device of the character described, a base member, an auxiliary member, a pivot member spacing the first two members, and a swingable member journaled on the pivot member and having a toe clip thereon.

15. In an exercising device of the character described, a base member, an auxiliary member, a pivot member spacing the first two members, and a swingable member journaled on the pivot member and having a toe clip thereon, the auxiliary member having a plate hinged thereto to serve as a foot rest.

16. In an exercising device of the character described, a base assembly having an arm pivoted therein for swinging motion in a horizontal plane, and an extension member projecting from the rear of the base in a rearwardly inclined position, whereby the base and the swinging arm may be raised into an inclined plane when the extension member is tilted downward.

17. In an exercising device of the character described, a base assembly having an arm pivoted therein for swinging motion in a horizontal plane, and an extension member projecting from the rear of the base in a rearwardly inclined position, whereby the base and the swinging arm may be raised into an inclined plane when the extension member is tilted downward, the extension member being hinged to the base for swinging movement into outlying relation with the base.

JOSEPH D. BELL. 

